


Seven

by Thunderfire69



Series: Seven Elemental Clans Universe [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Clans, Alternate Universe, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Canon Divergence- Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Cats with powers, Clan Alliances, Clan Enemies, Clan Rivalries, Demons, Elemental Clans, Emotional Manipulation, Epic Battles, F/F, F/M, False Identity, Fic I’ve been meaning to write for like a year, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Inflitration, LGBT Themes, M/M, Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Rising tensions, Seven Clans, Sexual Abuse, Sibling clash, Slow burn romances, and you get a power! And you get a power! And you and you and you!, elemental powers, sibling dynamics, trickery, using sex to get what they want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2019-11-17 18:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18104186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunderfire69/pseuds/Thunderfire69
Summary: Seven cats.Seven Clans.Seven intertwined destinies.A FireClan tom whose heart gets in the way of his head.A LightningClan she-cat whose ambitions cloud her judgement.A NatureClan tom whose dreams defy his Clans beliefs.An AirClan tom whose anger outweighs his logic.An EarthClan she-cat whose worth lays deeper than her Clanmates can see.A WaterClan she-cat whose compassion blinds her.A SpiritClan she-cat whose head outthinks the rest of her.The seven of them, all more intertwined and connected than they realise. All seven some of the most powerful cats to have ever walked the earth.





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been meaning to write this fic for like a year now and I finally am, let’s go!

FIRECLAN

Elemental leader- Seedstar- dusty brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes, one white forepaw and a flame-shaped burn on his left shoulder.   
Medicine cats- Jackaltail- gray tom with white toes and clear blue eyes.   
Apprentice, Wish.   
Warriors   
Darksnake- russet she-cat with golden eyes.   
Jadewing- gray she-cat with leaf green eyes, apprentice Sable.   
Bloodpelt- dark red tom with stormy gray eyes.   
Lionwhisker- golden tom with bright blue eyes.   
Robinfur- light ginger tom with yellow eyes, apprentice Tiger.   
Lynxdapple- dark gray she-cat with black circles around her blue eyes.   
Snowclaw- Black tom with one white toe on his left forepaw and dark green eyes.   
Forestpelt- dark she-cat with light gray-blue eyes.   
Firefur- Black tom with flame paws, chest, muzzle and underbelly and leaf green eyes, apprentice Thunder.   
Buckclaw- dark brown tabby tom with a lighter brown chest and hazel eyes.   
Jaguarstep- golden tom with black patches and blue eyes.   
Mintsong- Black she-cat with amber eyes.   
Leafdawn- tortoiseshell she-cat with dark amber eyes.   
Apprentices   
Wish- dainty silver tabby she-cat with white paws, chest, muzzle and underbelly and a clear green gaze.   
Sable- light brown tabby tom with tufted ears and bright green eyes.   
Tiger- dark tabby tom with stormy gray eyes.   
Thunder- gray she-cat with black tabby markings, white underbelly, chest, paws, muzzle and tail-tip, one brown forepaw and ear tips, tufted ears and bright blue eyes.   
Queens and kits   
Dingogaze- light tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Dark, a dark-pelted she-kit, and Orange, an orange tabby tom)   
Leopardspark- ginger she-cat with amber eyes (mother to Brown, a brown tabby tom, and Ginger, a ginger tom)   
Elders   
Riverstep- dark gray tom with wise blue eyes.   
Jynxstep- dark tabby she-cat with a twisted hind paw and pale amber eyes.   
Mousetail- dusty brown she-cat with green eyes.   
  
LIGHTNINGCLAN   
Elemental leader- Timberstar- dark brown tom with narrow black eyes and a lighting-shaped burn on his left shoulder.   
Medicine cat- Graystorm- gray tabby tom with a black forepaw and an odd skull-shaped mark on his shoulder.   
Warriors   
Leafwind- light gray she-cat with pale amber eyes.   
Wolfkami- dark gray tom with brown patches and golden eyes, apprentice Element.   
Dappleheart- young black she-cat with one missing ear and pale amber eyes.   
Deadtail- red tabby tom with a twisted tail and kind blue eyes.   
Oxenfoot- heavily built tabby tom with amber eyes, apprentice Wind.   
Rocktail- cream-pelted tom with ocean blue eyes.   
Lichenfoot- blue-gray she-cat with dark yellow eyes.   
Rainpelt- dark-pelted tom with bright green eyes and white toes, apprentice Red.   
Tawnyblaze- orange tabby she-cat with a black patch around one eye and a friendly green gaze.   
Pikewhisker- silver-gray tom with bright blue eyes.   
Honeydew- golden she-cat with yellow eyes and one torn ear.   
Mistfeather- Black tom with light gray patches and dark eyes, apprentice Pine.   
Oakhollow- dark brown tom with amber eyes.   
Apprentices   
  
Wind- lithe Black she-cat with gray eyes and white paws, and starling yellow eyes.   
  
Red- russet tabby tom with dark amber eyes.   
  
Pine- dusty brown tom with aqua eyes and a scar on his muzzle.   
Element- dark gray she-cat with a cream muzzle and underbelly and bright blue eyes.   
Queens and kits   
Darkpelt- dark tabby she-cat with cold amber eyes and a scarred pelt (mother to Patch, a tortoiseshell tom)   
Elders   
Silverflame- old gray she-cat with blue eyes   
Fishfur- ginger tabby tom with blind green eyes.   
  
WATERCLAN   
Elemental leader- Reedstar- dark gray tabby tom with cold amber eyes and a water-shaped burn scar on his left shoulder.   
Medicine cats- Brownfur- light brown tabby she-cat with bright yellow eyes, apprentice Flame.   
Warriors   
Jaggedstep- dark pelted tom with golden eyes.   
Lynxpelt- ginger tom with blue eyes, apprentice Star.   
Stagheart- massive brown tabby tom with white patches and stormy gray eyes.   
Streamtail- light orange she-cat with dark eyes, apprentice Storm.   
Thunderheart- orange tabby tom with green eyes.   
Pandastrike- black and white she-cat with pale blue eyes.   
Destinyfur- white she-cat with yellow eyes, apprentice Grass.   
Daisysong- cream-pelted she-cat with pale amber eyes.   
Snailpelt- blue-gray tom with green eyes.   
Gingerheart- ginger she-cat with bright green eyes.   
Lionyowl- Black tom with white tabby markings and dark amber eyes, apprentice Rocket.   
Aspenblaze- pale ginger she-cat with bright blue eyes.   
Skyfur- white tom with black paws and yellow eyes.   
Cloudpelt- light gray she-cat with golden eyes, apprentice Breeze.   
Wishsong- dark tom with cold amber eyes.   
Apprentices   
Flame- russet-furred tom with amber eyes.   
Star- golden she-cat with green eyes.   
Storm- gray she-cat with black paws and bright blue eyes.   
Grass- Black tom with green eyes.   
Rocket- russet tabby tom with on ginger forepaw and leaf-green eyes.   
Breeze- light pelted tom with friendly yellow eyes.   
Elders   
Darkspur- old Black tom with amber eyes   
Rabbitheart- ginger tom with a twisted forepaw and kind gray eyes.   
  
NATURECLAN   
Elemental leader- Bushystar- russet she-cat with a thick bushy tail and a tree-shaped burn on her left shoulder.   
Medicine cats- Echowhisper- pure white she-cat with amber eyes.   
Alderflight- dark brown tabby tom with leaf-green eyes.   
Warriors   
Lilypelt- light gray she-cat with blue eyes.   
Rowanspark- russet tom with amber eyes.   
Lightbuck- light brown Manx tom with a white flash on his chest and kind green eyes, apprentice Jax.   
Redtuft- orange tabby tom with a tuft of red, spiky fur on his head and stormy gray eyes.   
Wolfwillow- bracken pelted she-cat with golden eyes.   
Dawnmist- golden tabby she-cat with dark, narrow eyes, apprentice Splash.   
Owltalon- dark pelted tom with bright blue eyes.   
Skyclaw- gray-white tom with amber eyes, apprentice Whisker.   
Jaggeddusk- orange tabby tom with aqua eyes.   
Otterspring- light brown she-cat with gray eyes.   
Fawnmist- brown she-cat with white spots and blue eyes, apprentice Deer.   
Hailwhisker- white tom with golden eyes.   
Goldenbrook- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes.   
Featherflash- gray tabby tom with white paws and dark eyes, apprentice Oak.   
Stormfleck- light gray tom with amber eyes.   
Firesong- orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.   
Twistedmist- brown tabby tom with blue eyes.   
Lakeclaw- dark pelted tom with golden eyes, apprentice Rye.   
Emberleaf- orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.   
Rustthroat- Black tom with a russet flash on his chest and amber eyes, apprentice Fire.   
Apprentices   
Jax- brown tabby tom with bright green eyes.   
Splash- gray-blue she-cat with light blue eyes.   
Whisker- Black tom with amber eyes.   
Deer- skittish light brown she-cat with green eyes.   
Oak-dark brown tom with hazel eyes.   
Rye- Black tom with light gray paws.   
Fire- enthusiastic flame pelted she-cat with green eyes.   
Queens and kits   
Watersplash- gray she-cat with amber eyes (mother to Twisted, a pale yellow tabby she-cat with a twisted hind paw, and Brown, a brown tabby tom)   
Elders   
Wolfstep- dark gray tom with amber eyes and a savagely torn ear.   
  
AIRCLAN   
Elemental leader- Leafstar- massive black She cat with blue eyes and a swirl-shaped burn on her shoulder.   
Medicine cat- Forestshine- light brown she-cat with white paws and green eyes.   
Warriors   
Buckfur- dark pelted tom with cold amber eyes, apprentice Fin.   
Winterpelt- pure white tom with golden eyes.   
Toadscar- gray-blue tom with yellow eyes.   
Rustyfoot- ginger tom with a darker ginger forepaw and amber eyes, apprentice Dusk.   
Acornwhisper- dusty brown she-cat with pale eyes.   
Cedarstorm- calico tom with dark amber eyes, apprentice Fallow.   
Blackjay- Dappled white-and-brown tom with jay-blue eyes.   
Tinytwig- lithe brown she-cat with amber eyes.   
Sunnyclaw- pale yellow tom with golden eyes, apprentice Whisker.   
Softstep- golden tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes.   
Quailfeather- brownish gray she-cat with green eyes.   
Owlwing- dark pelted tom with yellow eyes.   
Leoparddazzle- gray she-cat with dark gray eyes.   
Apprentices   
Fin- light brown tabby tom with golden eyes and a torn ear-tip.   
Dusk- orange tom with brown paws and amber eyes.   
Fallow- gray she-cat with yellow eyes.   
Whisker- light brown tabby tom with golden eyes.   
Queens and kits   
Specklefoot- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with gray eyes.   
Elders   
Silverstorm- silver-gray she-cat with bright blue eyes.   
Redfur- russet pelted tom with amber eyes.   
  
EARTHCLAN   
Elemental leader- Stonestar- gray tabby tom with bright blue eyes and a boulder-shaped burn mark on his shoulder.   
Medicine cat- Grayfur- pale ginger tom with a patch of gray fur around his left eye and violet eyes.   
Warriors   
Triplescar- young dark pelted tom with blue eyes and three scars across his muzzle, apprentice Morning.   
Hailstorm- dark gray she-cat with amber eyes.   
Whitepelt- pure white she-cat with golden eyes.   
Oakwing- light brown tabby tom, apprentice Fern.   
Ebonyfang- ebony-pelted she-cat with golden eyes.   
Dewyfoot- gray tom with dark amber eyes, apprentice Kite.   
Cherrytail- golden tom with blue eyes.   
Blizzardfur- gray-white she-cat with bright blue eyes.   
Gingersplash- pale ginger she-cat with white paws and underbelly and pale green eyes   
Creamfrost- pale black tom with blue eyes, apprentice Dawn.   
Feathermist- silver she-cat with dark blue eyes.   
Jaysong- dark brown tom with amber eyes.   
Bluemist- gray-blue tom with golden eyes, apprentice Red.   
  
Apprentices   
Morning- pure white she-cat with gold tabby markings and amber eyes.   
Fern- quiet pale brown tom with green eyes.   
Kite- russet tabby she-cat with golden eyes.   
Dawn- Black tom with bright blue eyes.   
Red- dark pelted tom with gray eyes.   
Queens and kits   
Daisysong- white she-cat with golden eyes (mother to Black, a Black tom, and Dark, a dark gray tom)   
Elders   
  
SPIRITCLAN   
Elemental leader- Burnstar- white she-cat with golden tabby markings and amber eyes and a star-shaped burn mark on her shoulder.   
Medicine cat- Aspentail- pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes, apprentice Wire.   
Warriors   
Ottercreek- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.   
  
Sandfeather- dusty yellow tom with gray eyes, apprentice Tempest.   
  
Frostpool- pure white she-cat with amber eyes.   
  
Ambergaze- golden tabby tom, apprentice Rex.   
  
Iceblaze- orange tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes.   
  
Softfeather- light gray tom with amber eyes, apprentice Raven.   
  
Foxpelt- russet tom with black tabby markings and bright blue eyes.   
  
Clearsong- pale gray she-cat with sky-blue eyes.   
  
Shellshine- pale yellow tom with amber eyes.   
  
Lionstrike- tortoiseshell tom with yellow eyes.   
  
Sorrelcreek- dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes, apprentice Claw.   
  
Brambleshine- pale brown she-cat with blue eyes.   
  
Leafmoon- calico she-cat with bright green eyes.   
  
Apprentices   
Tempest- dark gray she-cat with cold amber eyes.   
  
Rex- brown tabby tom with pale green eyes.   
  
Raven- dark gray she-cat with golden eyes.   
  
Claw- brown tabby tom with amber eyes.   
  
Queens and kits   
  
Winterpelt- white she-cat with bright blue eyes (mother to White, a pure white she-cat, and Patch, a gray and white tom)   
  
Elders   
  
Flamefoot- flame pelted tabby tom with green eyes.   
  
  
  
  
Rogues and Loners   
  
Mordrid- dark brown tom with mysterious multi-coloured eyes.

Oscar- brown tom with gray tabby markings, odd purple dye markings, amber eyes and an umbrella.

Tyrone- ginger and white tom with bright blue eyes.


	2. Prologue

Starfire’s gaze raked over the clearing, still full of cats, and he flicked his paw to rid it of the fresh blood that had so recently fell upon it. The body of his mother, Shadowpelt, was rapidly fading, and he didn’t care to cast another glance at the limp, useless corpse. He yawned, his sharp teeth glinting slightly in the low light of the Dark Forest, before pushing himself to his paws.

 

“My allies,” he began, holding himself in a regal manner; tall, and neatly, but not stiffly. “You have witnessed the first act of a great conquest. An old, weak, unworthy leader must be eliminated in order for a young, strong, intelligent leader to take her place.”

 

A few cats below seemed to lean forward in interest, and Starfire began to pad along the front of the ranks, his muscles rippling under his yellow tabby pelt. Starfire’s bright green eyes landed on a small, young looking white tom, who’s bright blue eyes stretched wide in fear as Starfire set his sights on him. Starfire flicked his tail, beckoning the small cat forward, who gulped and stood on shaky paws to do as he was told.

 

“Your name?” It wasn’t a question. It was a request, and Starfire’s still unsheathed, still bloodstained, claws made that message perfectly clear.

“S-Snow,” the tom squeaked.

_ Only an apprentice, _ Starfire thought.  _ And yet he sits here instead of amongst the ranks of StarClan. He must truly be a worthy adversary, much more than he is letting on. _

 

“From here on, you will be known as Snowblood, the first warrior of my great conquest.”

The white tom seemed surprised by this, sitting up a little straighter with pride as cats yowled their support from far back across the clearing. Starfire allowed them a moment to howl, then quickly snatched up Snowblood’s paw in his mouth and bit down, hard. The young tom yowled in shock and jerked back, but it was already done, a clean bite, a hole straight through his foot.

 

“This mark will be taken by all of my warriors,” Starfire meowed loudly, his gaze steady as fresh blood, the blood of Snowblood, dripped from his jaws. “To prove their loyalty.”

 

For a moment, no cat spoke, no cat even moved. Starfire grinned.

“I figured you might take a little more persuasion… So I came to offer something Shadowpelt could never give.” He cast a contempt glance at the place where her body had lay moments before. “I bring demons.”

 

From behind him, a shadowy cloud burst out, screaming and yelling and soaring through the forest, destroying things in its path.

“These demons can be fused with cats souls!” Starfire yelled over the noise. “And I have already implanted one in a cat down in the Clans! Join me in filling the Clans with them! Together, we will destroy everything they love!”

 

Starfire felt his chest puff out more with every yowl of agreement that rose to fill the air, and a feeling of power filled him; it was good. Addictive. That feeling only grew when he noticed that Snowblood was among the cats yowling their approval. A small smile lit his features as he watched his troops slowly rallying together. The Clans would pay.


	3. One: Sable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sable overhears some interesting things

Paws pattered across the earth, scurrying to and fro; small paws, the paws of a mouse. The small creature scuttered out into the sunlight, eyes flicking around before scampering forward to nibble at some grass. From across the forest, bright green eyes flashed in the sunlight, then narrowed. The eyes belonged to a brown tabby tom with pale paws and underbelly and tufted ears, who was in a crouch, tail-tip flicking ever so slightly.

 

The tom took a careful pawstep forward, then another. Then he crouched lower, bunching his muscles under him. He leapt forwards, then, a single powerful, leap that propelled him forward to land neatly atop the mouse. The creature didn’t even have time to squeal before the tom’s jaws had closed around the mouse’s neck, effectively snapping its neck and killing it.

 

A gray she-cat with leaf green eyes padded out of the bushes to join him; she was considerably taller than the tom, and held an air of superiority, but not in an aggressive way. 

“Well done, Sable,” she congratulated. “Very nice catch.”

 

The brown tabby tom, Sable, mumbled around the mouse. “Thanks, Jadewing!” The she-cat’s expression softened, a small smile lighting up her features.

 

“Let’s collect the rest of our prey and return to camp,” she mewed to her apprentice, who gave an enthusiastic nod. Jadewing padded back into the forest, and Sable placed down his mouse for a moment. He’d been an apprentice for just over a moon now, and he still found Jadewing’s generous praise an amazing thing. She was a great mentor, and had taught him more in a moon than most apprentices learned in three.

 

He leaned down to snatch up the mouse again, but paused as he heard voices, growing slowly louder. Sable stiffened, the mouse dangling limp from his jaws, and he backed into the nearby bushes, which were loaded with sweet, strong smelling berries that he hoped would hide his scent. The voices floated nearer, and Sable strained to hear, gently placing down the mouse to prevent it from brushing against the bushes.

 

“I don’t want to hear it, Rocktail!” The voice was familiar, and two cats came into view; a cream tom who reeked of LightningClan, and a tortoiseshell she-cat who had just spoken, and who Sable recognised easily, for she was his mother, Leafdawn.

 

“You don’t understand. She merely wishes to know-”

 

“She doesn’t need to know! Sable has gone this long, and he isn’t at all curious!” Leafdawn’s pelt fluffed out in anger, and her words made Sable’s blood run cold. There was only one thing he could think of that he would ask about.

 

“But  _ she _ is!” Rocktail’s bright blue eyes narrowed. “She wishes to know her mother, and how can I possibly explain to her that her mother is a FireClan cat without her asking who?”

 

“Then you don’t tell her! It’s simple. She won’t ever know, just as Sable will never know you are his father.”

 

Sable froze, his gaze locked on the two cats before him. It had never occurred to him that he didn’t know his father because he was half-Clan; he’d thought perhaps his father had died tragically and no cat was willing to speak of it, or at least a rogue, not a cat from another Clan. He carefully glanced down at his own paws in wonder; did LightningClan blood really run through his veins? Did this mean he possessed some of their power?

 

Rocktail let out a low growl. “It’s a wonder I ever loved you, Leafdawn. I must have been blind to not see how heartless you are.”

 

“You only ever think of yourself,” Leafdawn retorted. “Did you ever think how I would feel, raising Sable alone?”

 

Rocktail’s eyes narrowed further. “I’m sure you won’t care to know how Element nearly killed her Clanmate this morning,” he spat. “Just as you don’t care to remember that she is your daughter as much as she is mine!” Then he turned and stalked off into the bush.

 

Sable held his breath as Leafdawn let out a snarl, then stalked directly past him; after a few moments, he realised she wasn’t going to notice him, and let out his breath. He stared at his paws once again, scarcely able to believe that not only was he half-Clan, but he had a sister. He took a final careful glance around the clearing, snatched up his mouse, then crept out and began to make his way back to the FireClan camp.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might not seem too exciting, but the next will feature Sable’s sister, Element, our second of seven main characters. This chapter is kind of important to the plot in that it reveals the two as siblings, which will come into play later.


	4. Two: Element

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Element has some problems during training, and she finally meets Sable.

Element’s paws scrabbled for purchase on the sandy earth of the training hollow, and she barred her teeth threateningly at the lithe black she-cat that stood in her way. From behind her, a handsome brown tabby tom whose appearance was only ruined by an ugly scar on his muzzle set his narrowed aqua eyes on her.

 

At her side was a russet tom with dark amber eyes; he surged forward to barrel into the lithe black she-cat, and Element allowed herself a small smile as she quickly whipped around to leap at the brown tom behind her with a loud yowl of challenge. The tom ducked under her, and she whipped around, ready to attack again.

 

“That all you got, Element?” The tom called mockingly, and Element’s bright blue eyes narrowed, focusing in on him.

 

“I’ve certainly got a lot more than that, Pine!” She threw herself at him again, this time diving for his hindpaws at the last second, managing to catch one between her jaws; Pine let out a wail as he fell to the ground, and suddenly Element felt a weight on her back as paws rained blows down on her head.

 

Shaking her head to throw them off, she then dropped and rolled, knocking them off her back; she turned to see her attacker had been the russet tom, and she leaped at him with a snarl of rage.

 

Red was today’s traitor, she thought as she pummelled his stomach with her paws. The next moment she was being hauled off him by the lithe black she-cat, whose name was Wind, and Pine was raining blows down on her, darting in to strike then quickly darting back out of range.

 

Then Red regaining his footing and began to attack too; despite her efforts, the three other apprentices overwhelmed Element, and with a cry of outrage, the dark she-cat went down under a mass of writhing pelts.

 

“Well done!” Oxenfoot’s mew filled the air, and the three apprentices backed off; Element coughed up a mouthful of sand, spitting in disgust at the taste on her tongue.

 

“Yes, well done indeed,” came the voice of Wolfkami, his eyes gleaming with approval. “Especially you, Element. To keep fighting in those odds is a feat worthy of StarClan.”

 

Element sat up straighter with pride, ignoring the fact that Red and Wind looked disapproving, as if they didn’t believe she deserved the praise.

 

“This next exercise plays more to your strengths, Element, I should think,” Mistfeather, Pine’s mentor, mewed, his eyes roaming over the four apprentices. Element was then suddenly aware of how sandy her pelt was, and it seemed that the other apprentices were too.

 

“I should think so too,” Red’s mentor, Rainpelt, said in agreement. Oxenfoot stepped forward once again, and Element found herself leaning forward slightly in anticipation.

 

“Elemental Control.”

 

Pine, Wind and Red groaned, but Element grinned. She was the best a LightningClan apprentice had been at Elemental Control since their current Clan leader, Timberstar; Element secretly hoped this meant she would be the next Elemental Leader.

 

“As you know, our Clan Leader, or the Elemental, as they were known by the Ancients, possess almost unlimited elemental power.” Wolfkami’s gaze scorched the clearing. “Our current leader, Timberstar, possesses such gifts. Lightning storms, charging his own pelt with lightning; and so much more. You all possess some of that gift. I am sure you’ve practised with this with your mentors before; today we are focusing on elemental attacks and defences.”

 

“You will not be allowed to use anything except elemental attacks,” Mistfeather mewed, taking over from Wolfkami. “This means no physical attacks or defences.”

 

“You can use lightning bolts as a means of attack, and electrical shields as a means of defence,” Rainpelt continued, his eyes roaming over the apprentices.

 

“And for the love of StarClan don’t injure each other,” Oxenfoot added, glaring at all the apprentices, but mostly Wind and Red. “This is a mock battle, not a fight to the death.”

 

“As per usual, one of you will be assigned the role of traitor. Choose your time to switch sides wisely; switching too early when your opponent is still strong enough to fight well might lead to your downfall.” Wolfkami stepped back, as did the other warriors who were overseeing the training. At once all four apprentices padded to their mentors, who led them into separate corners of the training hollow; Wind padded along daintily beside the heavier built Oxenfoot, Pine had a small bounce in his step as he followed Mistfeather, and Red looked somewhat subdued as he followed Rainpelt.

 

Wolfkami turned his gaze to Element. “Fight well, stay strong,” he meowed, the usual LightningClan mantra; Element instantly replied with the expected response; “I have swift paws and a strong mind. I will not fail my Clan.”

 

Wolfkami gave her a brief, approving nod. “Remember, no physical attacks. Only elemental. And this is a mock battle; do not aim to kill. Your teammate is Pine.”

 

Disappointment stung Element; she’d been hoping to be the traitor. However, she simply dipped her head in acceptance.

 

“Fight well, stay strong,” Wolfkami repeated again.

 

“I have swift paws and a strong mind. I will not fail my Clan,” Element replied, then she padded towards the centre of the clearing, seeing her fellow apprentices doing the same. She took up a defensive position beside Pine, seeing Red doing the same beside Wind. Red and Wind would make a formidable team, and Element knew she’d have to use all her wits to defeat them. She could only hope one of them was the traitor, and not Pine.

 

“Begin!” Oxenfoot’s mew was loud, and instantly an electrical shield flickered into place in front of Element and Pine; Element was just in time in getting her defensive measure in place to stop a bolt sent by Wind from hitting her teammate. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and after a few moments the bolt was deflected, flying harmlessly into the trees.

 

“I’ve got a plan!” She hissed to Pine, deflecting another bolt, this time sent by Red. Pine’s eyes gleamed as he sent out a bolt of his own, then he briefly glanced at her, a signal he was listening. Element liked Pine; out of all the other LightningClan apprentices, he was nice to her. For some reason, the others seemed to hate her; something they’d regret when Element became leader (and she would become leader, Element was sure of this).

 

“Can you cast an electrical field, like I am now?” she asked him, straining to deflect another bolt.

 

“Yes, but not for long!” Pine called back, sending out another bolt.

 

“Then do it!” She yowled at him, and he did; Element let her own shield down and leaped into a nearby bush. Red’s gaze followed her, and Element raised a half shield as a bolt arched into the bush; instead of deflecting it, Element absorbed its power, drawing it into her own shield. Then she staggered out of the bush, and, with a dramatic pause, collapsed.

 

Out the corner of her eye, she watched Red focus his attacks on Pine, who gritted his teeth as he strained to keep his shield up. Just a little longer, Pine, she thought to herself, forcing herself to wait a few more heartbeats before she sprung to her paws and sent a bolt arching into the space between Wind and Red; as she had hoped, the two apprentices stepped back to avoid the blow, making a larger distance between the two.

 

Then a bolt slammed into her chest, and she spotted Pine leaping to the aid of Red, and she let out a low growl. Traitor, she hissed mentally, rage lighting a flame in her heart. She could have sworn she felt something stir in her chest, like a monster but more real feeling. And then she did something she’d never done before; she cast out an electrical field, but instead of it being defensive, she used it to trap Red and Pine, letting it shrink until it was at a point where it was nearly crushing them.

 

The fear that shone in their eyes only fueled her, the monster in her chest letting out a rumbling purr. Then a bolt hit her in the chest and she staggered back, her electrical shield flickering but not breaking enough to let Pine or Red out. She turned her gaze on Wind, whose pelt was fluffed up in fear and whose eyes were large and round with terror.

 

“Let them go, Element!” She yowled, and Element found herself smiling menacingly at the other apprentice.

 

“And let them attack me? I don’t think so.” Element sent a bolt flying in Wind’s direction, and it knocked the black she-cat off her paws. Element began to summon up another bolt, the power building and building before it began to arc towards the terrified she-cat. Suddenly Wolfkami was inbetween them, standing over Wind, eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth, an electrical field above his head as he struggled to stop the bolt.

 

Oxenfoot darted in and grabbed a dazed Wind by the scruff, dragging her out of the way, and Wolfkami quickly rolled aside; the bolt smashed into the sandy earth, sending electrical pulses through the air. The shockwaves made Element snap out her rage, and the electrical field around Red and Pine dissipated as Element violently shook her head, unsure of what had possessed her.

 

“What were you thinking?” Oxenfoot’s meow was full of unfiltered rage. “You could have killed Wind!”

 

“You have to control yourself!” Wolfkami snapped, eyes blazing, as Mistfeather and Rainpelt led Pine and Red away, Mistfeather supporting a dazed Wind with his shoulder. Element deflated even further, so unsure as to why she’d even attacked so fiercely in the first place.

 

“I’m sorry,” Element mumbled. “I don’t know what came over me- I was just so angry-”

 

“Anger is not an excuse!” Oxenfoot snapped before stalking out of the clearing, probably to help ensure Wind reached the medicine den for proper treatment.

 

“What on earth provoked that?” Wolfkami asked, his voice gentler now. “It’s not like you to lash out so harshly.”

 

“I seriously don’t know,” Element said, meeting her mentor’s gaze. “I was just so angry and then there was all this power, so much power, and I had to use it somehow and I just- I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s not me you need to apologise to,” Wolfkami mewed seriously. “And Timberstar will have to hear of this.”

 

Element stayed silent, staring down at her paws. She hoped this wouldn’t affect her warrior training; would this slow her down? Stop her from becoming a warrior?

 

“Don’t worry too much about it, Element,” Wolfkami meowed, more gently this time. “You’re not the first apprentice to have such an outburst, or to have such strong powers at such a young age- why, your bolt was strong enough to rival Timberstar’s!”

 

“You think so?” Element said, feeling slightly better.

 

“I know so!” Wolfkami’s eyes gleamed. “Didn’t you know that Timberstar and I were apprentices together? And the time I had to stop one of his lightning bolts from hitting his Clanmate…”

  
  


Element was surprised to find herself on the moonhigh patrol that night; she was sure that after what had happened in training she would be punished, but Timberstar had been very understanding. Element suspected it had to do with him having a similar incident as an apprentice. Wind now flinched every time Element walked past, which made Element feel increasingly guilty.

 

As she padded through the forest beside her mentor, Wolfkami, and Leafwind, Deadtail and Pikewhisker, she forced herself to forget about the day’s troubles. She tasted the air as she walked, keeping herself alert for any kind of intruders, cats or otherwise.

 

Suddenly, she stopped, tasting a foreign scent on the wind. FireClan!

 

She opened her jaws to yowl a warning to the patrol when she heard her name hissed from the bushes. Her mentor turned back to glance at her, having noticed she’d paused.

 

“Element?” He called to her.

 

“I think I smelt something,” she called back. “I’m going to check it out.”

 

Wolfkami dipped his head to her, and the dark gray she-cat slipped off into the bushes. Almost immediately she ran into a tom, about her age, who reeked of FireClan. She barely managed to stop herself from gagging.

 

“Element!” He mewed quietly, sounding joyful, and she dimly recognised his voice from Border Gatherings.

 

“What do you want?” She hissed quietly to him. “You shouldn’t be here!”

 

“But we’re kin!” The tom meowed, and Element stopped dead.

 

“What did you say?” she asked carefully, but the tom didn’t seem to hear.

 

“I’m Sable. My mother is Leafdawn and my father is Rocktail.”

 

Rocktail? Did he just say Rocktail? Is he truly my kin?

 

“Leafdawn is our mother,” he continued, and Element took a half step back.

 

“This is a lot to take in, uh… Sable,” she meowed after a moment. “Meet me here tomorrow night, inbetween moonhigh and dawn. Then we can talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot is slowly creeping in; Sable and Element being siblings is highly important to the main plot later, and the “monster” mentioned in this chapter is also important, as are Element’s actions during training.


	5. Three: Jax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jax contemplates his place in NatureClan and makes a friend at the Border Gathering.

“We don’t use our powers to harm, Jax,” muttered a small brown tom, who was clearly an apprentice, in a mocking, slightly high pitched tone. “We only use our powers to heal, Jax. We never use our powers for anything useful, Jax.”

 

“What are you mumbling about, huh?” A gray blue she-cat playfully nudged the brown tom. “World domination?”

 

“Yes, Splash, I’m planning world domination  _ out loud _ ,” The tom mewed sarcastically, and forced himself to turn away at the hurt look that crossed the other apprentice’s face.

 

“Hey! Don’t be so mean, Jax!” A larger tom, this one dark brown, shouldered his way over. “It’s your fault we’re doing camp errands instead of training anyway!”

 

“Shut up, Oak,” the first brown tom, Jax, hissed.

 

“You and your dreams of battle. We heal, not hurt!” Oak loomed over Jax, his hazel eyes narrowed at the much smaller brown tom. “Learn to accept who you are.”

 

Then Oak turned away and made a point of snatching up another mouthful of moss to carry into the elder’s den. Jax avoided the tom’s gaze, but could feel it boring into him all the same.

 

“Don’t mind him,” Splash said cheerfully, nosing the moss and then removing a large thorn. “He’s just a bully.”

 

“Why do you hang out with him then?” Jax questioned, ripping more moss from the NatureClan camp’s trees. He noticed with a frown that the moss was all but gone; he flicked his tail and more moss sprouted instantly, and he returned to ripping it free.

 

“He’s not as bad as he appears,” Splash said seriously, removing another thorn from the moss. “He just likes to be in control but… he’s got his good traits.”

 

“Oh my god.” Jax paused in ripping off the moss to point at her with a paw. “You’ve got a crush on him!”

 

“No I don’t!” Splash flicked the thorn at Jax, who retaliated by ripping off a clump of moss to throw at her.

 

“Hey! We need that for the elders!” Oak’s voice met Jax’s ears, who whirled around in anger.

 

“We weren’t hurting anybody!”

 

“You weren’t helping either,” Oak growled, snatching up a mouthful of moss only to drop it with a yelp; Jax barely contained laughter as he realised a thorn had pricked Oak in the gum. With a glare at Jax, Oak carefully picked up the moss once again and stalked off towards the elder’s den.

 

“Should we tell him there’s a thorn in there?” Splash asked.

 

“I think he knows,” Jax said with a  _ mrrow _ of amusement.

 

“And just for the record, I do  _ not  _ have a  _ crush _ on Oak,” Splash said, removing yet another thorn from the moss; Jax realised just how many thorns were in amongst this moss and wondered if he’d unintentionally been making them grow in amongst it. “I am in  _ love  _ with him.”

 

Jax barely managed to keep composure for a full second before collapsing onto the ground as he struggled for breath over the way Splash had said that. The she-cat snorted at him, and continued picking through the moss. As Jax finally began to resume his task, his mind began to wander.

 

His claws, which currently tore through moss, itched to tear through the pelt of another cat. This urge scared him; did it make him evil? Did it make him not a true cat of NatureClan? He didn’t know.

 

He forced his mind back to the task before him, to focus on the sounds of the moss tearing beneath his claws. It took him a while to realise Splash had been trying to start a conversation with him, and even longer to even try to spark one up with her.

  
  


“FireClan next,” declares Bushystar, the tail she was so aptly named for swishing around behind her in a summoning arc. The Clans’ Gatherings were interesting, to say the least; they weren’t in a set place, but they simply met with each Clan by the border, in order until they had met and shared news with all the Clans.

 

Jax’s mentor, Lightbuck, flicked what there was of his stubby tail; the tom managed fairly well as a manx most of the time, and for that Jax admired him.

 

“Stick close to me,” Lightbuck ordered. “FireClan are not to be trusted.”

 

“You said that about WaterClan just before,” Jax reminded him with some amusement. “In fact you always say that about every Clan apart from SpiritClan.”

 

“That is because SpiritClan are like us, a peaceful Clan. The rest would rip you to shreds if you so much as set a claw across their border.”

 

Jax rolled his eyes, letting his mentor drone on; his best friend, Sable, happened to be from FireClan, and he was one of nicest cats Jax knew. Bushystar called the Clan to a halt, and FireClan scent filled the air. Cats began to mingle in the crowds, and Jax cast his gaze about to look for Sable.

 

It didn’t take him long to realise his friend wasn’t there, and he nearly decided to just patiently wait this meeting out, but then he noticed a small black tom sitting by himself; he’d seen this FireClan tom before but hadn’t really taken any notice of him.

 

“Hey,” he meowed as he padded up beside the black tom, who jumped slightly at his voice then relaxed.

 

“Hi! You startled me; I’m Tiger.”

 

“Jax,” Jax meowed in reply, already finding himself enjoying the black tom’s company. “I’m surprised Sable isn’t here tonight. He never seems to ever miss a Border Gathering.”

 

“He got himself into some trouble,” Tiger mewed with a purr. “I tried to stop him, but the fool went ahead and chased a rabbit onto the Thunderpath.”

 

“That sounds like Sable,” Jax meowed. Silence fell between them for a moment as Jax struggled for something to say. “I’ve seen you before at Gatherings, right?”

 

“I should think so,” Tiger replied. “It’d be hard to forget someone as  _ sexy  _ as me.”

 

Jax let out a  _ mrrow  _ of amusement. “Well now you know I definitely won’t forget you.”

 

Tiger opened his jaws to reply, but a loud yowl filled the air, calling cats back to their respective Clans. Jax shot Tiger an apologetic look.

 

“Time to go,” he meowed, giving Tiger a lopsided grin. “I’ll see you around, right?”

 

“Definitely,” Tiger replied with a grin of his own before padding off into the bushes. Jax turned and padded back to his own Clan; it would be a while before that grin made its way off of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s our third of Seven protags! Can you guess who’s the next of our protagonists to make their debut? Here’s a hint: They’re from AirClan.


	6. Four: Fin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fin meets up with his brother at the Border Gathering, and some things are said, both between them and between Fin and his Clanmates.

The first thing Fin noticed as Jax approached him was that the scent of an unfamiliar tom clung to his pelt. Something stirred in him, akin to jealousy, and he pushed it down, forcing a smile to his face as he approached his brother.

 

“Brother!”

 

“Fin!” Jax’s smile was wide as he spotted his sibling, and he reached forward to touch his nose to Fin’s. “How’s life in AirClan?”

 

“As good as it’s been since I chose to leave NatureClan,” Fin replied; their conversations at the Border Gatherings always began this way, Fin’s answer always slightly hostile and very defensive. His reasoning for leaving NatureClan was simple enough; he wasn’t interesting in peacekeeping and healing. He was often described as hotheaded and brash, tended to act without thinking, and had a taste for battle.

 

He didn’t regret leaving NatureClan, nor did he regret joining AirClan, though his Clanmates seemed reluctant to believe he was truly loyal. His ties to Jax made them question anything he said about his former Clan, and the only cats he truly felt he could trust was his mentor, Buckfur, his fellow apprentice Fallow who seemed to have taken a liking to him and, of course, Jax himself.

 

“Glad to see nothing’s changed,” Jax replied with some humour in his tone. The unfamiliar scent that cling to Jax’s pelt wafted into Fin’s nose again, and he couldn’t stop himself from mentioning it.

 

“What’s that smell on your pelt?” he blurted, jealousy unintentionally making its way into his tone. Jax’s eyes narrowed, and Fin instantly knew he’d caught the hint of jealousy in his voice.

 

“I made a friend in FireClan tonight, at the Border Gathering with them,” Jax explained simply, his tone full of mistrust.

 

“A friend?” Fin glanced around. “Your Clan won’t like your loyalties being torn in two!”

 

“Just look at us!” Jax hissed. “Besides, NatureClan are dedicated to peace, not war!”

 

Fin opened his jaws to reply, but a loud yowl came from the NatureClan leader, Bushystar, and with a final glance at his brother, Jax padded away, returning to his mentor’s side. Fin cursed inwardly, hating himself for even bringing up the scent that had lingered on Jax’s pelt.

 

“Family problems?” came a sneering voice from behind Fin; he turned to see a light brown tabby tom, Whisker, and the owner of the voice, an orange tom named Dusk. “I hear being in the same Clan helps a lot.”

 

“Like you’d know, Dusk,” Fin spat, “What with your parents and siblings dying when you were a kit!”

 

Silence fell between the apprentices, the tension in the air so thick Fin swore he could have reached out and clawed it in half. Dusk crouched lower, and Fin noticed his claws unsheathe; Fin did the same, not so afraid that he’d back away from a fight.

 

“Leave him alone, Dusk!” A gray she-cat leaped between them; Fallow, the only cat who seemed to actually give a damn about Fin. 

 

“What’s going on here?” Buckfur’s deep mew was all to welcome to Fin’s ears, and he turned to face his mentor.

 

“Nothing,” he meowed; he knew he could be brash and leap into things without thinking, but for once his head seemed to actually do what it was meant to do, and he had quickly decided he didn’t want Dusk and Whisker to get into unnecessary trouble. After all, they’d simply exchanged a few nasty words.

 

“Glad to hear it.” Buckfur’s gaze was full of suspicion as it passed over the four apprentices, but he didn’t try to question them further. “Come along. It’s time we headed home.”

 

Fin gladly stood and followed his mentor, trotting along the edge of the forest until they could begin to pad across the open plains of AirClan territory again. It felt good to be back in the open air; Fin had forgotten how freeing it felt, even after a short time in that stifling forest. He fell back to walk in step with Fallow, Dusk and Whisker glaring at them from beside their mentor’s but not daring to try and cause trouble.

 

“Thank you for what you did back there,” Fin meowed, then added, “but I could have handled it.”

 

“Dusk and Whisker would have ripped your pelt off!” Fallow hissed, her expression contorting.

 

“Not like any cat would care,” Fin replied with a shrug. “I’m a traitor in their eyes.”

 

Fallow blinked, looking shocked. “No cat thinks that!”

 

“Fallow, every cat except you, Buckfur and my brother think that,” Fin replied, a hint of sadness in his tone. The she-cat began to try and think of a way to reply, but Fin had already picked up his pace once again to return to Buckfur’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the fourth of our seven protags! Over halfway through their introductory chapters, and some of the plot is slowly leaking in!


	7. Five: Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning meets someone at her Clan border, avoids her Clanmates and talks with her mentor.

She slowed as she sped through the forest at full pelt, eventually coming to a stop near the border between her Clan, EarthClan, and SpiritClan. Her white and cream pelt felt too hot, too distinctive, too…  _ pretty _ . She sat down with a weighted sigh, glancing back in the vague direction of the EarthClan camp.

 

“StarClan, why am I like this?” She dropped her chin to her chest with another sigh. “My Clanmates wouldn’t hate me if they knew. So why do I avoid telling them?”

 

Her gaze scoured over the ground, at the scuffed up dirt of the path she’d followed to reach this part of the forest. She knew this path well, having tread it so many times. This place was her hiding place, her sanctuary, and she’d found herself coming here more and more.

 

Too many toms seemed to be after her, wanting to be her mate. Sometimes she’d been so, so close to screaming in their face. To yelling and yowling that she wasn’t just some trophy, some prize to be caught. And, of course, so close to admitting her secret.

 

That secret being that she liked she-cats, not toms.

 

But she didn’t know how her Clan would take that. Would they support her, or not? She knew other cats in the Clans felt like this and were open about it, but none in her Clan.

 

And she feared it. Feared being the first, feared their reactions. Most of all, she feared that some dumb tom would try to mate with her regardless.

 

She sighed again, and lifted her head. She opened her jaws to speak, wishing to talk to StarClan again, but stopped as the scent of another Clan wafted through the air towards her. Eyes narrowed, she tasted the air.

 

_ SpiritClan! But why would they cross our borders? We’ve never had a quarrel with them before… _

 

Morning got to her paws, curiosity, and a little worry, getting the better of her. She padded slowly and carefully down towards the border, the scent of SpiritClan growing stronger as she went. She stopped as she spotted a lithe, almost scrawny black she-cat, who glanced back into her own territory before seeming to tentatively take a step across into EarthClan territory.

 

Morning curled her lip, not quite in a snarl but more with distaste. Who  _ was  _ this she-cat, and why was she crossing into her Clan’s territory? Morning stepped out of the treeline, and called out to the darker she-cat.

 

“Who are you? Why have you come here?”

 

The dark she-cat glanced up at Morning, amber eyes stretched wide like an apprentice who’d been caught sneaking prey. It was an almost comical sight, but Morning didn’t have time to dwell on this; instead, she padded closer to the odd SpiritClan she-cat.

 

“I’m not here to steal prey,” was the first thing to come from the stranger’s jaws, and Morning almost let out a snort of amusement. Upon a closer look, she realised the darker she-cat wasn’t black pelted, but was actually a dark gray. Her amber eyes were cold, as if looking upon the surface of a lake, or glittering gemstone.

 

She was pretty, in her own way, Morning decided, before replying. “And if you turn around and go back to your territory now, then you won’t have been here at all.”

 

This was Morning’s way of giving the she-cat a chance to pretend this had never happened. To turn around, march back onto SpiritClan territory and not start any trouble. Instead, the dark she-cat just grinned at her, a lopsided grin that spoke of trouble yet to come.

 

“I’m only over by a couple of pawsteps. It’s not good enough. If I’m going to do this, then I need to get all the way to the treeline and back.”

 

“You need to leave,” Morning insisted, but the she-cat was bounding past her. She slapped her paw against a tree trunk, as if in triumph, then merrily padded back the way she’d come until she was standing beside Morning again.

 

“Nice to meet you…?”

 

With a roll of her eyes, she supplied, “Morning.”

 

“Pretty name. Well, nice to meet you, Morning. I’ll thank you in advance for not turning me in.”

 

“Just see it doesn’t happen again,” Morning mewed, then realised she didn’t know the SpiritClan she-cat’s name. As if sensing this, the dark gray she-cat tilted her head slightly.

 

“Tempest’s the name,” she meowed, then took the couple of steps over the border. “See you around?”

 

“I hope not,” Morning muttered, and Tempest laughed before bounding away across her Clan’s territory. The EarthClan she-cat shook her head, then turned and began to pad back to camp.

  
  


Morning hated waking up in her Clan. Some would say that was an exaggeration, but it really wasn’t. She’d blink her eyes open to another day, and instantly have cats gawking at her, admiring her, and rushing over to talk to her. It might sound good at first, but after you’ve lived your whole life this way, you’re pretty much done with it sooner rather than later.

 

This morning was no different. She awoke, padded from her den, and blatantly ignored the toms who tried to make advances on her as she tried to wolf down a mouse as quickly as she could. She loved her Clan, she truly did, but it was tiring being popular and beautiful.

 

The moment she’d scoffed down some food, she slipped out of camp. Her mentor, Triplescar, stopped her to ask where she was going, his scarred muzzle crinkling up a little as he did so.

 

“Hunting,” was Morning’s simple reply, and Triplescar nodded. 

 

“I’ll come with you,” he meowed, and Morning felt a rush of relief. Her mentor treated her more like a younger sister, looking out for her where he could, and she was grateful for it. If she liked toms, he would have been her first pick (despite so many saying his handsome face was ruined by the three scars across his muzzle, which was  _ entirely  _ untrue).

 

“Thank you,” Morning said, voicing her gratitude as the mentor and apprentice padded out into the forest. Triplescar glanced back at her, his easy gait faltering for a moment.

 

“It’s gross. They all fight over you like a piece of prey.”

 

“I’m used to it,” Morning said with a shrug as she trotted at his side. Triplescar gave her a concerned look.

 

“You shouldn’t have to be. And I’m worried that it’s only going to get worse once you’re a warrior.”

 

“I’ll manage,” Morning replied, getting a little annoyed with Triplescar’s protective tendencies. “You don’t have to worry.”

 

“I’m your mentor,” Triplescar mewed, flicking his tail over Morning’s ear. “I’ll worry all I like. It’s my job.”

 

“Well you’d better stop, you’re getting a little too good at it,” Morning teased, and Triplescar laughed. 

 

“Alright, time to hunt,” her mentor meowed, angling his ears into the forest. “I’ll head this way. You stay around here.”

 

“Sure thing, Mr-Worry-Pelt,” Morning replied cheekily, and Triplescar snorted at her before padding off. Morning turned, tasting the air, and realised she wasn’t far from the place she’d ran into Tempest the other day. She padded in the direction of the border, carefully making her way to the treeline.

 

She made her pawsteps light, careful not to step on any twigs. It was akin to a hunter’s stalk, but with less crouching. Possibly more sneaking, though.

 

Her amber eyes settled on the border as she peered out from the treeline; her heart fell as she didn’t spot the familiar gray pelt of Tempest, or her snarky grin as she darted across the border. Then she caught herself.

 

_ Why do I care about a random she-cat that I’ve literally only met once? Unless… no. She’s from another Clan. You don’t even know if she’s into she-cats, Morning, you idiot! _

 

But she couldn’t fight it. The she-cat was pretty, an odd pretty but pretty nonetheless. She had a spunky attitude, in a way that told Morning she did as she pleased and not what others told her.

 

And so maybe, just  _ maaaaybe _ , Morning had the tiniest, smallest,  _ littlest  _ crush on Tempest. And oh boy was she in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too plot important, nothing really to do with plot here other than introducing Morning... also I love Triplescar more than life itself.


	8. Six: Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Star doesn’t mean for her teeth or claws to sink as deep as they do.

Her claws scrabbled frantically against the ground as she was thrown across the forest floor, but it did nothing to slow her. She rolled into a tree, not hard enough to seriously injure her, but hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs. She staggered to her feet, gasping for breath, and the scarred brown tom towering above her gave her a crooked smile.

 

“Havin’ fun, darlin’?” The tom’s amber eyes had a cold, malicing glint to them. She licked the blood from her chin and met his gaze defiantly.

 

“Oh, plenty,” she replied darkly before hurling herself at the rogue. He grinned again, that crooked grin, his fangs showing horridly, as he sidestepped her attempt at an attack.

 

“Star! Wash Out!” The voice of Lynxpelt, her mentor, made it across the battlefield. Star faced off with the brown tom again, a little more confident now.

 

‘Wash Out’ was code for an elemental move all cats of WaterClan learned once their abilities developed enough. It was a strong jet of water, aimed directly at your opponent; this would either knock them back, or provide enough distraction to allow an attack.

 

She let the scarred tom smile his crooked smile for a third time as she concentrated on the forest around her; more importantly, on the morning dew that costed the leaves and the grassy floor. 

 

“How ‘bout you tell your little band of freakish friends to surrender, huh?” The brown tom’s lips had drawn back from his teeth a little, turning his crooked smile into more of a threatening snarl, but not quite. “That way none of them have to die.”

 

Star let her claws slide out again, letting out a low growl as she began to slowly summon the water together. She just needed to stall him for a few more seconds. “No can do.”

 

“C’mon, darlin’, don’t be like that,” the tom said, his half crooked smile, half snarl turning into a full display of all his teeth, which were gleaming and sharp. “We just wanna get to know ya.”

 

He was stepping closer, his nose nearly touching hers as he did so. “Learn what makes ya tick.”

 

It was at that moment that the water Star had been collecting shot forward, pummeling into the tom️’s chest and sending him tumbling backwards. In an instant, Star had leapt stop him, and dug her claws into his shoulders, pinning him down.

 

She didn’t even glance at his face before sinking her teeth into his neck. She didn’t mean for them to bite down through his flesh as much as they did, to dig such a deep wound. She certainly didn’t mean for the bone to crack beneath her teeth, and she jerked back, horrified, but the deed was done.

 

The scarred brown tom lay dead beneath Star’s paws, a snarl frozen on his face and his claws forever reaching toward a cat who was no longer there. Another rogue, a white and ginger tom, seemed to spot the dead cat and his ears flattened against his head.

 

“...Jace?” He sounded so broken that Star almost pitied him, and she just felt worse as he called for the rogues to retreat, casting a final, grief filled glance at his dead ally.

 

“Star?” Lynxpelt’s gaze fell upon the dead tom, then upon his apprentice with sympathy. “It’s okay.”

 

“I killed him,” Star choked out, curling her tail around herself.

 

“He would have done the same to you.”

 

“Leave her be, Lynxpelt.” A black tom with white tabby markings, Lionyowl, padded up to Star’s mentor’s side. Rocket, Lionyowl’s apprentice, watched from a distance, wide eyed. Aspenblaze, the only other cat on the patrol, stalked over, tail and chin held high in that all-important way she always carried herself.

 

“Let’s continue with the patrol, then report back to Reedstar, shall we?”

 

Star didn’t move, frozen, as the other cats began to move. Lynxpelt glanced back at her.

 

“Star?”

 

The small apprentice just shook her head, eyes still locked on the dead rogue at her paws. He looked so much smaller, like he wasn’t even a threat. 

 

“We’ll come back past here returning to camp, then,” Lynxpelt meowed. “To check if you’re still here. If you are, we’ll bring you back with us, okay?”

 

Star just nodded numbly, and the sounds of the patrol moved away until she was utterly alone. Alone, with this corpse. She suddenly leaped back, repulsed by it.

 

The memories of the way he’d spoken to her were fresh in her mind. There was something laced in his tone, something about the  _ way _ he’d spoken, that had unnerved her. Star had the impression that whatever he had meant by “learn what makes ya tick”, he wasn’t talking about having a conversation with them.

 

Despite her repulsion from the dead rogue, Star set to work digging him a grave. It was hard work, gruelling, and when she was done she wasn’t sure he’d be safe from predators, but she couldn’t stand being around the corpse a moment longer. 

 

She buried him, and muttered the traditional prayer to StarClan half-heartedly. Then, without even a glance back, she turned and began the trek back to camp.

  
  


Star’s eyes snapped open to her nest, and her chest heaved as if she’d just run the entire length of the forest ten times over. The sun was high in the sky, and all the other apprentices were up. She took a moment to try and regain control of her breathing, but she couldn’t.

 

She’d had a dream. That rogue had been there, and she’d slashed at him and clawed him until he bled out. And then she️️’d blinked, and he’d been Lynxpelt. Another blink, and it was Lionyowl. Blinked again, and it was Rocket. She’d turned away, then, trying to run, but everywhere she stepped another dead cat appeared, tripping her up.

 

The worst part was that they were all cats she knew.

 

“Star?” Lynxpelt’s head popped around the side of the entry to the apprentice’s den. “Come on. We’ve got patrol. Reedstar wants us to double check that area where we encountered those rogues. Deemed us best for the job since we ‘know what to look for’.”

 

Star stood, shaking out her pelt and ignoring the dread that rose in her st the thought of returning to the battlegrounds. It was part of WaterClan territory, and she knew she’d have to return there eventually; just not so soon.

 

“Alright then,” she mewed, forcing herself to sound and look braver than she felt. “Who’s coming with us? The same patrol?”

 

Lynxpelt shook his head. “Aspenblaze is out on a hunt with Lionyowl and Rocket. Destinyfur and Grass are joining us.”

 

Star let out an internal groan. “Not them.”

 

“Yes, them.” Lynxpelt fixed his apprentice with a stern glare. “Play nice.”

 

Only a few minutes later the four of them had arrived back where the battle had taken place. Grass was bounding around like a new apprentice on their first day out in the forest, until Destinyfur chastised him.

 

“Sorry,” she meowed in apology, looking a little embarrassed. “He’s still very young.”

 

“He was apprenticed  _ two moons  _ ago,” Star spar irritably, ignoring the warning look Lynxpelt shot her way. “Only a  _ half moon  _ after I was.”

 

Grass’ tail drooped and Star felt a little guilty about her outburst. Destinyfur just gave Lynxpelt a meaningful look, and Star figured she’d be in big trouble later. Then a scent drifted into her nose. It smelt like…

 

“A kit!” she gasped, immediately beginning to follow the trail.

 

“Star!” Lynxpelt sounded angry, but then he caught the scent too, and his expression changed. “It’s just outside the border…”

 

“We have to help it,” Star mewed, padding forward with confidence. Destinyfur trotted right up to her side.

 

“You’re right, Star. We can’t leave it to starve.”

 

They found the kit near an old fox burrow, the scent of fox stale. It was small, pale in colour, and helpless. It was thin, weak looking, as if it hadn’t been fed in days. It- no, she- was letting out small mews.

 

“It’s okay,” Star whispered to the kit. “We’ve got you.”

 

“Destinyfur? Is stale fox scent… meant to smell like that?” Grass’ voice was timid. Star whirled around as fresh fox scent hit her nose, and a young looking fox slipped out of the underbrush. 

 

It didn’t yet look fully grown, and Star unsheathed her claws. “We have to protect the kit.”

 

“Who’s the warrior here again?” Lynxpelt hissed, but he didn’t really sound annoyed; then he launched himself at the fox. Destinyfur followed soon after, the two drawing the fox’s attention with both physical and elemental attacks.

 

Seeing her chance, Star began to move forward. Almost immediately she spotted Grass mirroring her movements and she stopped, angling her ears towards the kit.

 

“Hang back and defend her, okay?”

 

Grass nodded, eyes wide, and Star started forwards again. The fox’s attention was still on the two warriors, and Star darted forwards, raking her claws over its throat.

 

She really didn’t mean for her claws to sink as deep as they did, and she watched, horrified, as the fox completely collapsed, limp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one protagonist left to introduce!!! Then I get to write Sable and Element again!!!
> 
> I’m really excited to get to write another chapter from the POVs of those siblings because they were actually the first two characters I made, the two that sparked up the whole story idea in the first place!


	9. Seven: Tempest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempest gets into trouble.

“I’ll do it.”

 

The four other apprentices turned to stare at the darker gray she-cat, wide eyed. One of them, a brown tabby tom with pale green eyes, grinned.

 

“Do it then.”

 

“I will, Rex.” The dark gray she-cat, Tempest, stood a little taller as the other apprentices, Raven, Claw and Wire exchanged glances.

 

“Don’t do it, Tempest,” Wire mewed timidly, her tabby pelt bushing up a little. “You’ll get into trouble.”

 

“Not if I don’t get caught,” Tempest replied. Then she grinned at the worried apprentice. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Dibs on using your pelt for my nest if you get killed!” Rex called after her as she began to pad away, and Tempest turned. 

 

“Not going to happen,” she yowled back. Then she continued to pad across SpiritClan territory, slowing as she neared the border. Nerves prickled at her pelt, but she held her head high.

 

She wasn’t one to back down from a dare.

 

Ears pricked for even the slightest noise or sign of movement, Tempest slowly took a pawstep over the border. Then another. And then another.

 

Then a voice split the air. “Who are you? Why have you come here?”

 

Tempest glanced up, startled, eyes stretched wide as they fell on the cream and gold she-cat standing just inside the treeline.

 

“I’m not here to steal prey,” Tempest mewed quickly as the she-cat approached.

 

“And if you turn around and go back to your territory now, then you won’t have been here it all.”

 

Tempest recognised that the EarthClan she-cat was giving her a chance to forget this had happened, to turn tail and run back into SpiritClan territory. Instead, Tempest just gave her a lopsided grin.

 

“I’m only over by a couple of pawsteps. It’s not good enough. If I’m going to do this, then I need to get all the way to the treeline and back.”

 

“You need to leave,” the stranger insisted, but Tempest was already bounding past her. She reached the treeline and slapped one of the trees with a forepaw triumphantly before turning and padding back toward the EarthClan she-cat.

 

“Nice to meet you…?”

 

The she-cat rolled her eyes before replying. “Morning.”

 

“Pretty name,” Tempest said truthfully.  _ A pretty name to suit a pretty she-cat.  _ “Well, nice to meet you, Morning. I’ll thank you in advance for not turning me in.”

 

“Just see it doesn’t happen again.” Then Morning seemed to tilt her head a little.

 

“Tempest’s the name,” she supplied, taking the couple of steps back over the border. “See you around?”

 

“I hope not,” Morning muttered, and Tempest spotted the ghost of a smile on her face; she let out a laugh before bounding back across SpiritClan territory. She hadn’t expected a mere, stupid apprentice’s dare to earn her a new friend.

 

Morning had intrigued her, made her want to get to know her. And protect her with her life. Some kind of sisterly instinct had been triggered during their interaction that made Tempest want to protect her from the world.

 

Tempest was still smiling as she padded back into camp, but it soon fell from her face as her eyes settled on Burnstar, her mentor Sandfeather, Rex and Wire sitting in the centre of camp, staring right at her as she entered.

 

Then Burnstar got to her feet. “Ah. There you are. Now what’s this I hear about crossing borders?”

  
  


Hours later, Tempest sat under a bush in the camp, fuming. She still smelled of mouse bile, and it’s fowl taste had somehow reached her jaws. She should have known better than to trust Rex and Claw.

 

She was lucky Burnstar hadn’t killed her herself the moment she’d gotten back, or delayed her apprentice training at all. She was sure Rex and Claw were still snickering about it behind her back.

 

Tempest didn’t regret what she’d done, though. She’d met Morning because of it, and the little she-cat was certainly fierce and didn’t seem to have any fear. From what Tempest could tell, Morning was about a half moon younger than she was, but she acted like she was older.

 

She had come off as more mature that Tempest in many ways, and for that she respected Morning. She really hoped to see the she-cat at the next border gathering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s all our protagonists!!! I’m proud of myself for battling through the introductory chapters, and I feel like it will get easier the deeper into plot town we go as this fic goes on.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments, it really means a lot!


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